Territory



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

G E DUDLEY DOOR GHEGK AND SPRING.

No. 504,826. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.-

@ l' ll (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. DUDLEY.

\ DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.` No. 504,826. l Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

Wmme I Igagfala@ Em We may UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. DUDLEY, OE PRovo, UTAH TERRirORY.

DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

S?ECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,826, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed April 5, 1893. Serial No. 469,111- (NO mOdBlJ To al?whom it mag/concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. DUDLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Provo,

in the'county of Utah and Territorv of Utah, have invented a new anduseful vCombined lDoor Check and Spring, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to combined door checks .and springs; and it hasfor its object to provide an improved device of this character, which,while preventing the sudden closing or slamming of the door, at the sametime insures the automatic closing thereof and checks both the closingand opening of the door.

To this end the main and primary object of the invention, is to providean improved door check and spring, applicable alike t0 heavy and largedoors, and which while comparatively simple in construction and ethcientin operation, at the same tiineis so constructed as to provide in itselfa stop for holding the door open when it has reached or passed a certainposition.

lVith these and other objects in view which will lreadily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parte, hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure l is a perspective view of theupper portion of a door casing and door showing my improved check `andspring device attached in position. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional viewof the device showing the position thereof when the door is opened at anangle at which the spring will not close it, and therefore forms a stopfor holding the same open, also showing in dotted lines the closedposition of the door. Fig?? is an enlarged detail sectional view showingin ore clearly the construction of the spring adjusting device. Fig. 4is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through one end of thecylinder, including the hollow piston rod and the regulating valveinside of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of a modication. Fig. 6is a detail top view showing the door and frame in section. b

Referring to the accompanying drawings, la represents a jointed lever jframe comprising the parallel long lever arms d, having rabbeted endsa', and the parallel short lever arms B, having inner rabbeted ends b,registering with the rabbeted ends of the long lever arms and connectedthereto in a joint by means of the pivot bolt C, passing transverselythrough the connected ends of the lever arms. As may be clearly seen inthe drawings, the rabbeted ends of the long lever arms ct, are slightlycurved' on an angle as at D, to form stops, which normally dispose theshort lever arms B, at an angle, so as to hold the device off from thedoor to which it is attached. The opposite ends of the jointed leverframeA, or at least the outer extremities of the long and short armsthereof, are connected by the end bolts E, and by which they arepivotally connected to the perforated attachment plates F. Theattachment plate F, connected to the bolt at one end of the long leverarms a, is attached to the door frame adjacent to the hinge of the doorX, while the other attachment plate attached to the swinging ends of theshort lever arms, is attached to the back of the door X, at a point nearthe center of the same, so that when the door is opened, the short leverarms B, have their outer extremities drawn toward the point ofattachment of the lever frame to the door frame, so that the joint ofthe lever frame is bowed out or broken as may be clearly seen in Fig. 2of the drawings.

The joint or pivot bolt C, accommodates a spacing sleeve G, which holdsthe opposite frame arms separated and spaced from each other andreceives thereon the heavy coiled doorspring H. The heavy coiled doorspring H, has one extremity thereof held in position on the pin h,projecting from one of the short lever arms B, while the other extremityof the spring engages a pin I, projecting from one end of the adjustabletension adjusting plate t'. The adjustable tension adjusting plate t',is pivoted at one end on the bolt C, and is provided in its other endwith a series of openings J, any one of which is engaged by theladjusting screw j, passing through a threaded perforation in one of thelong lever arms a. Byadjusting the plate c', the tension of the springH, can be increased or diminished as may be reqnired,and by reason ofhaving the extremities of the spring connected, respectively, to thelong and ICO short members of the jointed lever frame, the tension ofsaid spring is such as to normally close the said lever frame, and whenthe door is opened slightly, it will bow the lever frame by breaking thejoint thereof against the tension of the door spring. Vhen the door isreleased, the tension of such spring is suiicient to close the jointedframe and therefore close the door. Now by reference to Fig. 2 of thedrawings particularly, it will be readily seen that in case the door isopened an angle of sixty degrees or more, so that the short levermembers or arms B, are drawn into a position at approximately rightangles to the long lever arms, the tendency of such short lever arms toreturn into their normal positions, will not be exerted in a directionto close the door, but on the contrary will tend to hold the same open,therefore forming a stop to hold the door open in a wide position, untilclosed manually. This is an important feature to note.

In connection with the door spring just described, I employ a checkcylinder K, which is arranged inside of the jointed lever frame betweenthe parallel long lever members or arms thereof. The cylinder K, isconstructed in the ordinary shape and is pivotally supported in positionat one end near to the fixed pivotal support of the arms a, on the pivotscrews L, passing through threaded openings Z, in the opposite leverarms and engaging directly opposite portions of one end of the saidcylinder. The cylinder K, is provided in its rear pivoted end with oneor more end escape or exhaust openings M, and at an intermediate pointwith a central exhaust opening m. The swinging end of the cylinder K, isinclosed by the head or cap N, provided with a conical recess n,exteriorly threaded to receive the perforated packing nut n', which nutadjustably clamps into position in the bottom of the recess m, thepacking O, and

accommodates the hollow sliding piston rod P. The hollow sliding pistonrod P, carries at its inner end the piston head Q, which works inside ofthe cylinder K, and by compressing the air at both ends thereof isdesigned to serve as a check not only for the closing of the door butalso for the sudden opening thereof. The outer extremity of the hollowsliding piston rod P, is connected centrally at p, to the end bolt E,connecting the short lever arms B, so that as the joint of the leverframe is bowed and closed, respectively, the said piston rod will beslid in and out of the cylinder K, to move the piston head Q, therein.The said hollow piston rod P, is further provided near its extreme innerend inside of the cylinder K, with a transverse series of air escapeopenings R, while at a point beyond the inner end thereof, the rod isprovided with a longitudinal series of valve openings S, which arecovered and uncovered as may be desired by the interior sliding valveplug T. The interior sliding valve plug T, is arranged at one end of theregulator rod t, ar-

ranged inside of the piston rod P, and has a finger end U, adapted towork in the slot u formed in the piston rod, so that by hand theregulating valve T, can be moved to cover and uncover the valve openingsS, as desired.

When the door is opening, the piston head Q, will be moved toward thepivoted end of the cylinder K, and the air will exhaust through thecentral exhaust m, as well as the end exhaust opening, so that asuicient exhaust or escape will be provided, when the door is opening,in order that the air will not compress until the piston head has passedbeyond the central exhaust fm, thereby forming a very slight cushion atthe pivoted end of the cylinder. But the end exhaust openings M, areprimarily designed to allow the air to pass freely out of the pivotedend of the cylinder, while on the other hand the central exhaustprovides means whereby the air will not commence to compress in theswinging end of the cylinder until always at about the same point,irrespective of how wide the door has been thrown open. When the door isclosing under the tension of the door spring, the piston head Qcompresses the air in front of the same, so that an air cushion isformed which checks the rapid closing of the door, and almost stops thesame, until the pistonV rod P, has been drawn out of the cylindersufficiently so as to expose the valve openings S, which provide meansfor the immediate relief of the compressed air which rushes out of theescape openings R, and said valve openings. As the air is exhausted fromthe swinging end of 'the cylinder through the valve openings S, thetension of the spring immediately closes the door. By adjusting thevalve plug T, so as to cover the valve openings, the device can beadjusted to stop at any desired point before closing, as will be readilyapparent.

By reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be observed thata slight modification of the frame constructed is employed so as toadapt the device forscreens and other light doors, and in thismodication I employ single lever arms V and V', respectively which arejointed at W', on the rod w, extended to both sides of the single armsand carrying on the extended portion thereof the springs Y, which aredesigned to act in the same capacity as the spring H, herein described.In this modification, the other features of the invention as herein setforth are practically the same, the essential dierence being theconstruction of the jointed lever frame which isreduced to comprise twosingle arms.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation andmany advantages of the herein described combined door check and springwill be readily apparent, and I ywill have it understood that changes inthe form, proportion and the minor details of construction, as embracedwithin thek scope of the appended claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sac- IOO i'icing any of the advantagesof this invenion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a combined door check and spring, the combination of a jointedlever frame comprising long and short lever arms connected together by asingle pivot bolt, the outer extremity of the long lever arm beingpivoted to a iixed point of attachment and the outer extremity of theshort lever arm being pivoted to a movable point of attachment, a springloosely coiled on the pivot bolt of the lever frame and having itsextremities connected to the separate members of the frame respectively,and a cylinder and piston check device mounted within and carried by thelever frame, the cylinder' being pivoted to the long lever arm and therod of the piston being pivotally connected to the movable point ofattachment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, a jointed lever frame comprisingseparate parallel long lever arms having inner rabbeted ends curved onan angle, and short lever arms having inner rabbeted ends curved on anangle and overlapping the corresponding ends of the long arms to form ajoint-stop holding the frame normally bowed, a single joint or pivotbolt connecting the rabbeted ends of the lever arms, attachment platespivotally connected to the outer ends of the lever arms and adapted tobe fastened respectively to a door frame and door, and a spring coiledon the joint or pivot bolt and attached at its extremities to a long anda short lever arm of the lever frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, a jointed lever frame having longand short lever members connected at their ends by end` bolts,attachment plates pivotally connected to said end bolts, a joint orpivot bolt for the lever frame, an adjustable tension adjusting platepivoted at one end on said joint or pivot bolt and having perforationsin its other end, an adjusting screw arranged on the lever frame andadapted to engage any one of s aid perforations in said plate, and adoor spring coiled on the said joint or pivot bolt and having itsextremities connected to the short'lever member and to said tensionadjusting plate respectively, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the class described, a jointed lever frame having longand short lever members connected at their ends by end bolts, attachmentplates pivotally connected to said end bolts, a closing spring arrangedat the joint of the lever frame, an air cylinder pivoted at oneextremity inside of the lever frame, a sliding hollow piston rodpvotally connected at one end to one of said end bolts and having at itsother end a piston head sliding within the cylinder and escape and valveopenings near the piston head, and a sliding valve plug adapted to workinside of the hollow piston rod and to cover and uncover said valveopenings, substantially as set forth.

5. ln a combined door check and spring, the combination of a springjointed lever frame having a short swinging section or member carryingat its outer extremity an end bolt, of an air cylinder pivoted at oneextremity to the frame and having a central exhaust opening and endexhausts in its pivoted end, a sliding hollow piston rod pivotallyattached at its outer extremity to said end bolt of the shortswingingsect-ion of the lever frame and carrying at its inner end apiston head moving within the cylinder, said piston rod being providedat a point near the piston head with a series of escape openings, and ata point beyond the escape openings with a series of valve openings, anda valve device adapted to cover and uncover said valve openings,substantially as set forth.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. DUDLEY.

Witnesses:

M. B. EWART, JOSEPH D. TYo.

